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A version of this article was first published by The DCN in March 2023.
The international supply chain has experienced significant turmoil across the past few years from the combined and simultaneous effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine and the trade disputes between China and many developed nations.
Australia has experienced similar direct effects such as lack of capacity in sea and air cargo, delays in the delivery of items required to deal with the pandemic, increases in costs for services supplied in the supply chain, the imposition of sanctions by government and the closure of important export markets for Australian goods in China.
The federal and state governments have worked together with the private sector to introduce a new series of legal and administrative arrangements to manage the challenges. However, these issues have led to increases in prices for consumers, the absence of items for purchase at different times and increases in the costs of inputs to manufacture.
Supply chain scrutiny
Scrutiny of these issues has become a priority around the world to identify impediments to the creation of a resilient supply chain and eliminate practices which lead to undue costs and delays. For example, in the United States of America , the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) was granted significant additional powers to review the practices of those in the private supply chain including powers to require shipping lines to respond to complaints on demurrage and detention costs.
In Australia, two reports issued in December 2022 addressed these and other issues in the maritime supply chain and have outlined a framework of recommendations to rectify or reduce the impact of some of these market behaviours.
The first of these reports to be issued was the legislated annual Container stevedoring monitoring report (Monitoring Report) published by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). This was shortly followed by the Productivity Commission’s final Inquiry report, Lifting productivity at Australia’s container ports: between water, wharf and warehouse (Commission Report).
The Monitoring Report drew from the earlier interim report of the Productivity Commission. The Commission Report had a much wider scope than the Monitoring Report, including review of the use of technology at Australia’s major shipping ports (consistent with international practices), the need for a government-run port community system (not required), the likely outcome of the government’s overhaul of cargo clearance systems (likely to deliver ongoing consumer benefits), the effect of current coastal shipping regulation (impeding competition and requiring reform) and the need for a government-supported commercial strategic fleet (on balance, not required). The Commission Report also included recommendations for significant reform of the industrial relations framework governing the maritime supply chain.
Both the Monitoring Report and the Productivity Commission agreed on certain recommendations, all of which would influence contracting practices in the whole maritime supply chain, including an effect on those freight forwarders and transport companies requiring the payment of terminal access charges (TACs) to stevedores in the land side part of the supply chain.
The first such recommendation in the reports was that the Australian government should repeal Part X of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (CCA).
Both the ACCC and the Monitoring Report considered the current regime and made the following comments, as summarised in the Commission Report:
- No other industry has an exemption like Part X, even though there are industries with similar characteristics to the shipping industry.
- Shipping lines should show that their agreements provide a net public benefit.
- Either a class exemption or the existing provisions under Part VII of the CCA could deal with shipping line agreements under a net public benefit test once Part X is repealed.
This has been an ongoing recommendation of the ACCC and now by the Productivity Commission and would increase scrutiny on the agreements of shipping lines and reduce costs.
The second recommendation that would affect contracts was that the Department of Treasury develop a mandatory container terminal operator code that would be administered and enforced by the ACCC.
The code should include that:
- all landside (TAC) fees should only be changed once a year with container terminal operators required to simultaneously notify a regulator of planned changes;
- the ACCC should have the authority to reject increases if it considers them to be unjustified;
- if an increase is rejected, an operator cannot propose an alternative change in a charge;
- the ACCC’s decision of whether an increase is justified should use 1 December 2022 as the baseline;
- the ACCC should collect any metrics it needs to form a view on whether proposed increases are reasonable, for example on the level of revenue raised by an operator from incentive-based fees and on landside performance (only metrics that do not reflect an operator’s commercial position should be made public);
- there should be an annual report to transport ministers and the Treasurer, which includes analysis of any unintended consequences of the regulatory regime; and
- consideration be given to any penalties that might be required to support enforcement of the obligations under the code. The code should be evaluated after a period of five years by an independent body.
This recommendation recognises widespread concerns that revenues and profits for stevedores are increasing by significant amounts on a regular basis through TACs with little transparency on the rationale for the increase. The proposed code does have hallmarks of the mechanism imposed by the Victorian government requiring advanced notice of proposed increases in TACs. Increase in TAC charges are passed by transport operators to their customers, causing increased prices being charged to retailers and consumers.
The third recommendation from the reports was that shipping contracts should not be exempt from the ‘unfair terms’ provisions in Australian consumer law.
The proposal is that the Australian government should remove this exemption. The main issue here concerns some shipping lines having levied detention fees on cargo owners in circumstances where cargo owners could not return containers on time due to delays to which the shipping lines contributed. Research has suggested that cargo owners in Australia currently do not have adequate protection against such unreasonable practices, resulting in them paying significantly higher amounts of detention fees in 2021-22.
This proposal would have an impact on contracts between shippers, their agents (freight forwarders and licensed customs brokers) providing that detention fees are not payable in such circumstances.
Recommendations in the supply chain industry
The three recommendations above are in line with submissions by those in the supply chain industry for some time. They would seek to balance the relative positions of those in the supply chain and would require changes to existing contracts, going beyond those proposed in the reforms to the Unfair Contracts Act due to come into effect later in 2023.
While the views reflected in the abovementioned recommendations of the reports are plausible, reform should go further. In addition to the recommendations addressed above, they should also require the following:
- All demurrage and detention charges should be detailed and rationalised by the shippers, including increases in those charges, setting aside unwarranted charges and the introduction of an open complaint system.
- The code proposed in relation to TACs should be replaced by legislation to the same effect to be introduced as soon as practicable.
- A separate regulatory body should be established in Australia similar in effect to the FMC with specific expertise and powers over the supply chain. This would be consistent with overseas practices and would reflect the key importance of the maritime supply chain to all in that chain including consumers. As an alternative, such additional powers could be allocated to a new division to the ACCC. Both the ACCC and the Productivity Commission have recognised the need for regulatory reform in other parts of the supply chain.
Ultimately, decisions to act rest with the Australian federal government. Successive federal governments have largely steered clear of the issues (except for the review into a government-supported Australian strategic fleet) and it has been state governments (particularly in Victoria and New South Wales) who have undertaken some measure of reform.
While the wide scope of industrial relations reforms in the Commission Report may not be well received by the relevant trade unions, it can only be hoped that the recommendations of the report and the wider recommendations proposed by industry are adopted at the earliest opportunity.
To discuss issues relating to Customs and Trade legislation or assistance in addressing any current trade or transport issues your business is facing, including how to best manage your supply chain, please contact our Customs & Trade team.


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The Federal Communications Commission has stated, unequivocally, that businesses which interfere with consumers’ Wi-Fi are in direct violation of the law.
“In the 21st Century, Wi-Fi, represents an essential on-ramp to the internet. Personal Wi-Fi networks, or “hot spots,” are an important way that consumers connect to the Internet. Willful or malicious interference with Wi-Fi hot spots is illegal,” says the FCC in a new Enforcement Advisory.
“Wi-Fi blocking violates Section 333 of the Communications Act, as amended. The Enforcement Bureau has seen a disturbing trend in which hotels and other commercial establishments block wireless consumers from using their own personal Wi-Fi hot spots on the commercial establishment’s premises. As a result, the Bureau is protecting consumers by aggressively investigating and acting against such unlawful intentional interference.”
The FCC’s notice comes in response to a recent case involving the Marriott hotel chain. The company was fined $600,000 for blocking customers’ personal Wi-Fi hotspots at a Nashville, Tennessee location.
The FCC refers to the case specifically, saying,
“In 2014, the Enforcement Bureau conducted an investigation, culminating with a Consent Decree, into this kind of unlawful activity by the operator of a resort hotel and convention center.2In that case, Marriott International, Inc. deployed a Wi-Fi deauthentication protocol to deliberately block consumers who sought to connect to the Internet using their own personal Wi-Fi hot spots. Marriott admitted that the customers it blocked did not pose a security threat to the Marriott network and agreed to settle the investigation by paying a civil penalty of $600,000.”
And according to the FCC, it’s been getting more and more complaints regarding Wi-Fi blocking in other businesses across the country.
The FCC makes it pretty clear what’s illegal:
No hotel, convention center, or other commercial establishment or the network operator providing services at such establishments may intentionally block or disrupt personal Wi-Fi hot spots on such premises, including as part of an effort to force consumers to purchase access to the property owner’s Wi-Fi network. Such action is illegal and violations could lead to the assessment of substantial monetary penalties.
So, for now, this is definitive. If you think your Wi-Fi is being jammed – complain.
Image via Wikimedia Commons

domain: news


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CHICAGO (CBS) — Phones are ringing off the hook at one west suburban restaurant all because of their new pizza delivery guy — the Grinch.
Social media is buzzing with photos of the Grinch making his special deliveries in La Grange.
READ MORE: Chicagoan David Kronfeld Shares Advice To Career Success In New Book
The owner of Antonino’s Restaurant said they decided to put the Grinch to work to make people happy during difficult times. The owner said the Grinch deliveries have been so popular they have expanded to three days a week and may be adding more soon.
READ MORE: ISP Arrest Man For Attempted Murder, Aggravated Battery On I-290
For people who live outside the La Grange area, the Grinch is now doing curbside pickup on Tuesdays.
Customers can book Grinch orders online for no extra charge.MORE NEWS: Man Charged After Wounding Another Man In Parking Lot of Restaurant In Niles
Also From CBS Chicago:
- Buffalo Grove Man At Odds With Village Over Holiday Light Display
- Former Illinois State Sen. Martin Sandoval, Caught In Federal Corruption Probe, Dies Of COVID-19
- COVID In Illinois: Massive Northbrook Hotel Wedding Reception Called Potential ‘Super-Spreader Event’ By Cook Cook County Health Department


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Yelp Inc. (YELP) Given a $51.00 Price Target at SunTrust Banks, Inc.
Yelp Inc. (NYSE:YELP) has been assigned a $51.00 price objective by research analysts at SunTrust Banks, Inc. in a note issued to investors on Friday. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the local business review company’s stock. SunTrust Banks, Inc.’s target price suggests a potential upside of 9.16% from the stock’s previous close.
Several other research firms have also commented on YELP. Roth Capital set a $21.00 target price on shares of Yelp and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, July 31st. Robert W. Baird reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Yelp in a research report on Monday, July 3rd. B. Riley reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $36.00 price target on shares of Yelp in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Barclays PLC reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $36.00 price target (up previously from $28.00) on shares of Yelp in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Finally, BidaskClub raised shares of Yelp from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty have assigned a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Yelp currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $41.26.
Yelp (NYSE:YELP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The local business review company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.12. Yelp had a net margin of 1.67% and a return on equity of 1.60%. The company had revenue of $209.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $204.89 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.16 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 21.0% compared to the same quarter last year.
Yelp declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, August 3rd that authorizes the company to repurchase $200.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the local business review company to buy up to 7.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.
In other news, insider Laurence Wilson sold 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.18, for a total value of $1,385,400.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 187,739 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,669,787.02. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Geoffrey L. Donaker sold 42,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $1,680,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 47,590 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,903,600. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 366,481 shares of company stock worth $15,712,350 in the last three months. Insiders own 10.10% of the company’s stock.
Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dorsey Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Yelp in the second quarter worth $22,095,000. First Manhattan Co. bought a new stake in Yelp in the second quarter worth $11,158,000. Capital Fund Management S.A. increased its position in Yelp by 113.2% in the second quarter. Capital Fund Management S.A. now owns 714,639 shares of the local business review company’s stock worth $21,453,000 after purchasing an additional 379,367 shares during the last quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC increased its position in Yelp by 17.0% in the third quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC now owns 97,521 shares of the local business review company’s stock worth $4,223,000 after purchasing an additional 14,171 shares during the last quarter. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System increased its position in Yelp by 95.8% in the first quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 225,800 shares of the local business review company’s stock worth $8,015,000 after purchasing an additional 110,500 shares during the last quarter. 89.28% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Yelp Company Profile
Yelp Inc (Yelp) connects people with local businesses by bringing ‘word of mouth’ online and providing a platform for businesses and consumers to engage and transact. The Company offers local business review sites. Yelp provides a platform for consumers to share their everyday local business experiences with other consumers by posting reviews, tips, photos and videos, and to engage directly with businesses, through reviews, its Request-A-Quote and Message the Business features, and by completing transactions on the Yelp Platform.
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Karta, a metaverse studio specializing in interactive experiences, has launched a dedicated studio focused on building bespoke experiences within Asia-focused metaverse platform ZEPETO.
Karta aims to use its expertise in crafting virtual experiences in the service of ZEPETO’s fashion-focused avatar user base, which is primarily female. The new studio is led by 3D artist Dominique Sosseh, a key contributor to Karta’s recent growth, the company said in a press release Monday (February 12).
ZEPETO boasts over 400 million users, with 20 million monthly active users, and unlike many other metaverse platforms, has a predominantly female audience. Its virtual fashion marketplace has a vibrant creator community with over 2.5 billion virtual items sold.
Luxury brands like Gucci, Christian Dior, Nike, Ralph Lauren and makeup brand NARS Cosmetics have already integrated their products onto ZEPETO, allowing users to virtually try them on. ZEPETO’s partnership with Gucci, which started in 2021, has sold over 800,000 Gucci items on the platform.
“We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our latest expansion – our new ZEPETO studio. We see huge potential in the platform and the studio team we are building around Dominique Sosseh,” Karta CEO Erik Londré said.
“Just like the other platforms Karta works on, ZEPETO has a passionate community with its own culture and expression that we can not wait to help our clients and partners connect with… in a meaningful way.”
Erik Londré, Karta
“Just like the other platforms Karta works on, ZEPETO has a passionate community with its own culture and expression that we can not wait to help our clients and partners connect with… in a meaningful way,” Londré added.
Dominique Sosseh, lead 3D artist for the new studio, added, “I am so excited to be part of the team working on ZEPETO. ZEPETO is different to other metaverse platforms, allowing us to work with a different range of clients and focus on a different audience than that of Fortnite or Roblox.”
“I love its visual style, and its focus on self-expression. As the biggest virtual fashion marketplace in the world, I think it is a platform every brand, especially those with a strong focus on a female audience, should be aware of,” Sosseh added.
This expansion marks another collaboration for Karta, following projects like the TWICE Square fan-hub and BLACKPINK THE PALACE in Roblox, as well as Spotify Wrapped’s metaverse integration.
“The achievements of Karta in crafting outstanding Roblox experiences alongside K-pop artists such as BLACKPINK and Twice make me highly optimistic about their venture into ZEPETO.”
Jay Lee, Zepeto
In December, Nicki Minaj partnered with Karta to launch her first-ever virtual shop in Roblox, called Nicki Minaj’s Gag City. It follows the launch of Karta’s Fortnite studio in August, partnering with IP owners from music, entertainment, and sports domains to create new takes on Fortnite maps and games.
In July, Karta raised $1.1 million in funding from music and gaming industry players. Karta’s Londré at the time said the investment will help the company invest in its team, platform and regional expansions.
“The achievements of Karta in crafting outstanding Roblox experiences alongside K-pop artists such as BLACKPINK and Twice make me highly optimistic about their venture into ZEPETO,” said Jay Lee, Chief Ecosystem Officer at ZEPETO.
“Their profound understanding of artists and their fan communities, combined with an adept approach to engaging the younger audience who grew up with games and virtual realms, sets the stage for continued success.”
Music Business Worldwide
This news is republished from another source.


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Apple Battling iOS Upgrade Problems, iPhones Bricked
While Samsung have their Note 7 problem Apple is also struggling to come to grips with iPhone technical glitches.
Tens of thousands of Apple customers have reported difficulties updating their iPhone operating system to the latest software, which became available last night.
After downloading the iOS 10 update, the smartphones or iPads shut down to install the software. Then, rather than the device automatically turning back on with iOS 10 installed, a screen appeared prompting users to plug their handsets into a computer, rendering the phone useless until they did so.
Hundreds of social media users complained about the issue to Apple’s Twitter account. They said the bug left them unable to use their phones if the software update was completed by downloading it directly onto the phone, rather than through iTunes, Apple’s music playback and management platform.
“We experienced a brief issue with the software update process, affecting a small number of users during the first hour of availability,” Apple said in a statement. “The problem was quickly resolved and we apologize to those customers.”
The technical gaffe came as South Korean competitor Samsung Electronics Co. is facing more serious issues with its Galaxy Note 7. The smartphone has in some cases been bursting into flames, triggering a global recall of the flagship product.
In a preliminary report to South Korea’s technology standards agency, Samsung attributed the failure to a battery
manufacturing flaw, Bloomberg News reported earlier on Tuesday.
The iOS 10 software update was first presented in June, and includes deeper integration of Apple’s Siri virtual assistant with third-party applications. The roll-out is a precursor to the iPhone 7, which will be available to buy on Friday.


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Flat mobile battery? Blame the ads, says study
In-app ads are seen by some as a waste of space on small screens, but what those ads are really wasting is your battery life, according to new research conducted by researchers at University of California, Berkeley, and Microsoft.
Flat battery on your mobile device? Blame the ads. According to new research conducted by Microsoft, receiving and displaying in-app ads on a mobile device is draining your battery.
Ads in popular Windows Phone apps chew through, on average, 65% of an app's total communication energy, or 23% of the app's total energy, found the research.
Till Faida, co-founder and managing director of Adblock Plus (software that has been removed from Google Play!), says consumers are blaming their mobile device for poor battery performance when, in fact, it's the ads that are to blame.
"The use of in-app advertising has enabled an ecosystem of free apps for many people's enjoyment, but we have to consider the impact this is having on battery drain," said Faida.
The study authors, Prashanth Mohan, U.C. Berkeley graduate student, Suman Nath, senior researcher at Microsoft Research, and Oriana Riva, researcher at Microsoft Research, found that in-app ads are typically refreshed every 12 to 120 seconds, forcing the radio network to be continually re-activated. However, after an app's ad download is complete, the app keeps its 3G radio connection open for a further 25 seconds. It is this period, dubbed "tail time", that results in an ad's "high-energy overhead".
The research paper investigates a process called "prefetching" which can help reduce this high-energy overhead.
"Intuitively, prefetching can amortize the tail energy cost among multiple ads," explains the paper. "Our experiments show that downloading 10 ads of size 1 kB (or 5 kB) in bulk over AT&T 3G network consumes 8.6x (or 4.1x respectively) less energy than downloading them one every minute. Moreover, prefetching enables downloading ads at opportune times, such as when the phone is being charged or Wi-Fi connectivity is available. Finally, unlike solutions that require changes at the networking stack, a prefetching-based solution can be deployed on today's smartphones with minimal changes to existing ad infrastructures."
Image via Shutterstock
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Article from Nordjyske | September 2022 | Salling Plast has a new owner. The company went bankrupt – now it is split into two – with one company in Hurup and one in Ranum.
The industrial company, Salling Plast in Hurup and Ranum, has been saved.
72 employees can breathe a sigh of relief.
Although the company Salling Plast A/S went bankrupt on Monday, the company has been bought by two new companies. At the same time, the employees are transferred to the new companies.
Therefore, there has also been no stoppage in production.
The new owner takes over.
The new owner is the former owner of Salling Plast A/S, Geert Winther Skovsgaard.
He continues the operation through the two new companies he founded on Monday. The same day as the old company went bankrupt.
He explains that it had to go fast because it was a matter of saving the company and the jobs.
Although he is an experienced businessman, this is the first time he has gone bankrupt with his company.
– But there was nothing else to do, he explains.
– The company would have continuously accumulated a much larger debt if we did not do something dramatic. Geert Winther Skovsgaard says that when faced with such a choice, there is simply nothing else to do.
Bought Salling Plast in 2019
It was only in 2019 that he bought two-thirds of the more than 50-year-old family-owned company, Salling Plast. He took over the remaining third of the company in October 2020. In September 2021, he inaugurated the newly renovated factory in Hurup.
He had never dreamed that he would have to rebuy his own business two years later.
– It has been violent, he says.
Among other things was corona, a shortage of goods, price increases on everything, and the war in Ukraine. It was too big a mouthful.
Difficulty with subsidiary
But what was ultimately decisive was Salling Plast’s subsidiary in Belarus.
At the end of the annual accounts, Salling Plast had a receivable of DKK 24.9 million from the subsidiary.
– The loss on our exit from Belarus was the main reason we had to give up, says Geert Winther Skovsgaard, who in the new structure does not include the Belarusian subsidiary in the new companies.
It is, therefore, no longer part of the Danish companies.
It is a significant amount.
Geert Winther Skovsgaard does not want to say how much it has cost to repurchase the business.
– I cannot comment on that due to the agreement with the receiver and the company’s mortgagees, but he says it is a reasonably large amount.
When you ask Geert Winther Skovsgaard about the bankruptcy itself and what it means that there are now creditors who are not getting their money, he says:
– I am deeply affected by that.
– We want to help
– I am incredibly humbled by the human and financial costs that follow in the wake of this. There, I should help everything and everyone to try to get back on their feet.
Of course, some will be in a lot of pain because they will take a loss with such a trade with us.
– We will do everything we can to help our many loyal creditors join the fight again so that they become part of the future. So over time, we will balance it out.
– That is the purpose in itself, he says.
Two companies, two factories
The two companies that take the companies forward are Salling Plast Energy ApS, which will be behind the company in Ranum. This is also where the main office is.
The other new company, Salling Plast Aqua ApS, is behind the company in Hurup.
The old company, Salling Plast A/S, changed its name on Monday to the Company of 4 September 2022 A/S, which has therefore been taken under bankruptcy proceedings at the Bankruptcy Court in Aalborg.
The companies in Hurup and in Ranum are no longer run by one company because the activities in the two productions are very different.
– The two companies only have in common that they manufacture items produced from pipes. The production is allocated to very different customers and segments; the production takes place in very different processes and dimensions, he says.
– It may be that investors in the future will have difficulty seeing the idea of having to invest both in products for district heating and in products that are part of fish farms or wastewater plants. Now we have separated it, he says.
In Ranum, one factory is a subcontractor to the district heating industry. The other factory – in Hurup – is a supplier of large, heavy constructions of pressure pipes for fish farms, sewerage, and surface water.
Geert Winther Skovsgaard continues not only as owner – but also as director of the two companies.


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After two successful years, London Games Festival is returning for 2018.
The Mayor of London-backed initiative is coming back between April 5th and 15th, with organiser Games London announcing that last year’s Festival brought in 50,000 attendees.
Furthermore, since launching in January 2016, Games London says it has connected 145 games firms with 109 investors from around the world, as well as driving £30m into UK companies.
London Games Festival 2018 will once again feature the Games Finance Market, which connects games firms with investors, the Now Play This showcase of experimental game design at Somerset House, EGX Rezzed and the BAFTA Game Awards.
“London leads the world in culture, creativity and technology and the city’s games industry plays a major part in that success,” Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said.
“In just a couple of years, the London Games Festival has become a major attraction for consumers and professionals alike and Games London is delivering significant investment for our cutting-edge tech sector – showing that London is open to creativity and innovation and open for business.”
[Disclosure: writer of this piece used to work at Games London as content editor for events and marketing during London Games Festival 2017]


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Published on : Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Like it or not, we will be encountering a tourism revolution anytime soon. By “we” I meant not just Hong Kong where a fundamental reshaping of the sector is quite sure but the world economy to the entirety.
The harm imposed by the pandemic and lockdowns worldwide is tremendous, and expectation of the damage being momentary is evaporating as well. With revival in the travel, aviation and tourism industries not expected many years, a “tighten your belt and hold your breath” strategy cannot work. Hotels, airlines and the millions of people heavily dependent on overseas tourism have no other alternative but to imagine their future once again.
The World Tourism Organization of the UN is predicting a global fall of 60 to 80 per cent this year. The global total of international tourists is expected to drop by 850 million, to 1.2 billion, with revenues down US$910 billion, to US$1.2 trillion and tourism jobs down 100 million, to 120 million.
The World Travel and Tourism Council for the Asia-Pacific has predicted that almost 60 million to 115 million jobs will be gone, from a starting point of 182 million jobs by the end of 2020 as the number of arrivals drop by 40 to 67 per cent. In 2019, tourism revenue had amounted to almost US$3 trillion is forecasted to drop by between US$980 billion and US$1.88 trillion.
The United States, China and the European Union, might get encouraged this otherwise catastrophic trend with a rapid domestic travel recovery. In July 2020, Chinese domestic air travel was 5 per cent below July last year. For the rest of the world, though, the forecast is pretty miserable.
The challenge will be particularly acute for economies dependent entirely on tourism, like Macau, Thailand and the Philippines. Those like Hong Kong or Singapore, for whom there is no domestic travel industry, also face a tough time.


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ATLANTA — Home Depot, the home improvement retailer, said Monday that it would cut 7,000 jobs and close its smaller Expo chain as the recession continues to batter the nation’s housing market.
The company said the cuts would affect about 2 percent of its work force.
Under the plan, the retailer will close its 34 Expo Design Centers, five YardBIRDS stores, two Design Center stores and a bath remodeling business that has seven locations. Those stores will close in the next two months.
Its core Home Depot stores will not be affected. The company also plans to shed 2,000 non-store jobs and freeze the pay of its officers.
Home Depot will record a $532 million pretax charge in the fourth quarter related to the closures and layoffs.Continue reading the main story


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Deepak Ahuja, who will rejoin Tesla Inc.
as the company's chief financial officer in April, will earn an annual base salary of $500,000 in addition to a $15 million new-hire stock grant, Tesla said in a filing Friday. The equity will be granted and will vest over four years in accordance with the company's standard equity policies, Tesla said. Ahuja served as Tesla CFO from July 2008 until November 2015, when he was replaced by Jason Wheeler. Wheeler announced his resignation on Wednesday as Tesla reported fourth-quarter results. Wheeler will remain at the company through early April to ensure a smooth transition, Tesla said. At a conference call with analysts after the Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Ahuja's appointment is not a temporary assignation.


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Pentland Brands, the parent company of Speedo, Ellesse, and Berghaus, has revealed how it plans to fulfill its promise to help both people and the environment through a variety of sustainability programs and philanthropic activities.
Pentland Brands has revealed its new '100-1-0' positive business plan, which outlines three primary objectives that must be met by 2032: To help 100m consumers live positive, active, sustainable lifestyles; To improve the lives of one million people in its communities; and To be a net-zero business by 2032.
Speedo, Berghaus, Ellesse, Endura, Canterbury, and Mitre are among the brands that will expand their efforts to develop more environmentally friendly products and services, including those that promote emotional and physical well-being.
According to the company, its portfolio will help to bring communities together and promote issues that matter to customers. According to Pentland, these activities will assist 100 million customers in living positive, active, and sustainable lifestyles by 2032.
To assist defend human rights and the environment, the company has pledged to have complete openness across its supply chain. The company claims it is committed to being ambassadors for social mobility, diversity, and inclusivity in a world where discrimination, prejudice, and injustice are dividing countries. Every year, Pentland Brands will donate 1% of profits to charity, and its brands will distribute half a million products to those in need over the following ten years. These efforts will improve the lives of 1 million people in its areas by 2032.
Between 2024 and 2032, the brands will reach net-zero carbon emissions through science-based carbon emission reductions and offsetting measures. To restore healthy forests, promote biodiversity, and reduce severe poverty, 50 million trees will be planted by 2032.
Sara Brennan, positive business director for Pentland Brands, said that for nearly a century, they've been a pioneer of brands that improve people's lives. But their world has changed, and they need to move faster. They recognize that there is much more work to be done, but everyone in the Pentland Brands family is committed to making the world a better, fairer, and greener place. Their teams are actively collaborating on initiatives that will assist them in meeting their lofty 2032 goals.
A weekly report covering market and price information on the entire chain of polyester along with online access to daily polyester chain prices.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in individual products including polyester, nylon, acrylic, viscose, and cotton.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in the individual country's natural and manmade fiber/filament industries.
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The Pokemon Company unveiled a new “premium trading card set” called Pokemon TCG Classic during the February 27, 2023 Pokemon Presents presentation. The set is in essence, a high-quality set of props used to play Pokemon TCG.
You can see a teaser clip for Pokemon TCG Classic at the 3-minute mark in the stream archive.
The clip shows a man walking into a classy gaming lounge while carrying a leather briefcase. The case is embossed with Pokemon Trading Card Game Classic. He steps up to his opponent at a table, and unfolds the case to reveal a game board and a set of card containers, as well as a dish holding markers of various kinds. The man and his opponent play a round of Pokemon TCG, while also using the bespoke markers to indicate different statuses and mechanics in-game.
The set is being made as a collaboration between The Pokemon Company, design firm Nendo company, and Pokemon TCG developer Creatures. A sneak preview of the full set will be available at the Pokemon World Championships.
The World Championships will be held in Japan for the first time ever. The venue is in Yokohama, and the event is scheduled for August 11 to 13, 2023. Competitive matches in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Pokemon TCG, and Pokemon GO will be on offer for fans and pros. The event will also be broadcast live via official channels.
The Pokemon Company also unveiled some art to commemorate the 2023 Pokemon World Championships. As with previous events, the art is designed to reflect the location hosting the year’s festivities.
The 2023 Pokemon World Championships will take place in Japan on August 11-13, 2023. The Pokemon TCG Classic set will be viewable there.


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Record 52 Cruise Ships to Visit Liverpool in 2014
Liverpool Cruise Terminal said it will break its previous record next year with 52 cruise ships scheduled to call, bringing 70,000 visitors to the city.
Among the cruise liners making their Mersey debut in 2014 will be the new MS Europa 2, Ruby Princess and MSC Magnifica.
The high points of Liverpool Cruise Terminal’s fast-growing popularity were revealed at a conference organized by the Mersey Maritime Group trade body.
During the cruise terminal’s first full season of operation in 2008 there were just 13 calls, rising to 42 calls last year.
Thomson Cruises is the latest company to offer Liverpool-based cruises, with three itineraries in May 2014. Once again Cruise & Maritime and Fred Olsen will operate Liverpool-based cruises next year.
Another expanding market are ‘split- voyages’ – passengers can take shorter cruise to or from Liverpool on board Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth & Celebrity Infinity.
Overnight stays are also increasing in popularity with The World making a return three-day visit next month whilst next May, Queen Victoria will over night as part of a special celebratory cruise to mark the centenary of Aquitania, widely considered one of the most attractive ships of her time, Aquitania earned the nickname “Ship Beautiful.”
Celebrity Infinity will stay overnight in Liverpool in July 2014 so passengers can visit The British Open Championship, at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.


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Yes, it's happened. The cronut craze has finally made its way to Palm Beach County. And if you don't know what a cronut is by now, we feel sorry for you. The donut-croissant hybrid that originated in New York is popping up nationwide in one form or another, and we've already told you about the Broward bakery that's making its own version, dubbed the "doissant." Shame on you for not paying closer attention.
But if Master Cake Bakery in Pembroke Pines is too far for all you Palm Beach County residents to travel for a hot plate of fried-butter-dough, no fear. Now you can get your deep-fried, glazed croissant fix at the Jupiter Donut Factory where owner Chris Stokes is taking his own croissant dough, frying it, tossing it in a sugar glaze, and finishing it off with a quick stroke of chocolate or vanilla frosting.
Like most of Stokes' donuts, they've been selling out within a few hours, so the shop -- which he began running just a few months ago since purchasing from the previous owners -- now makes them almost daily.
The Jupiter Donut Factory isn't just new to cronuts; it opened early this year by founding owners Nancy and Bill Hebrank, and their daughter Carey. The family decided to open the doughnut shop because there was nothing like it in the area, and they saw a need for the specialty, gourmet donuts.
Chris Stokes agreed -- and even spent several months working with Bill to learn the donut-making business. His goal: eventually open his own family-owned shop in Wellington, Florida. All the training was worth it; the Hebrank family decided to relocate to Oregon and Stokes -- alongside his wife Chrystal -- jumped at the chance to take over operations.
Today, Stokes continue to make the donuts the same way he was taught by the Hebranks, ensuring that it remains a "family-run establishment." Every day, Stokes arrives at the shop as early as 1 a.m. to prepare more than 150 dozen batches -- and about 40 varieties -- of donut. When doors open at 6 a.m., it typically takes only a few hours before the shelves are cleared, and the shop closes its doors for the day.
"We usually sell-out before 12:30 p.m. on the weekends. Store hours are until 2 p.m., but we almost never [stay open] that long," said Stokes.
The menu favorites include the shop's own take on maple-glazed, bacon-topped bars, while newer creations like the s'mores and Snickers-infused donuts appeal to the candy-loving crowd. Soon, Stokes said to keep an eye out for seasonal-inspired specials -- like pumpkin spice and apple cider -- to celebrate autumn.
Not in the mood for fried and frittered dough? The small diner-like shop also has a short counter with old-fashioned stools where you can sit and watch the line snake out the door and into the parking lot. Choose from a concise menu that includes egg sandwiches, muffins and bagels.
We love that Stokes kept the donut dream alive in Jupiter, but will there be a shop -- one closer to West Palm Beach?
"I still plan on opening a [donut] shop in Wellington, but I'm not sure when exactly that will be," Stokes told Clean Plate Charlie.
That's fine by us -- you certainly won't hear anyone complaining about one more donut shop coming to Palm Beach County.
The Jupiter Donut Factory is located at 141 Center Street in Jupiter. For more information visit the Facebook page, or call 561-741-5290.
Follow Nicole Danna on Twitter, @SoFloNicole.


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Air Products today introduced its new XeCoverysm on-site xenon recovery service for the semiconductor and MEMS industries. Semiconductor manufacturers faced with rising prices for xenon can now recover and reuse the crucial gas, saving valuable time and money in the process.
Recently, the cost of xenon has been on the rise due to a number of novel new uses for the rare gas. With demand and prices on the rise, there is a growing concern that cost or availability will hamper its applicability. This is the situation within semiconductor manufacturing, where the price of xenon has risen while device prices have continued to decline. Besides higher costs, the potential impact to the industry is the need for additional R&D to mitigate the use of xenon in already established manufacturing processes, which compounds the cost issues.
"Because of high xenon recovery rates, customers currently using xenon in their manufacturing processes could improve their security of supply and see savings of more than 50% in their cost of xenon by utilizing XeCovery recovery service, without incurring any additional capital outlay for equipment," said Gene Karwacki, commercial development manager, for Air Products. "In addition, customers concerned with the high cost of xenon can now continue using the gas in their processes and save valuable R&D time trying to change their processes."
XeCovery recovery service is based on an Air Products' patented technology utilizing Vacuum Swing Adsorption. Because it is an on-site service, the customer's investment is limited to costs associated with installation and utilities to operate the equipment. Air Products assumes responsibility for owning, operating, and maintaining the units placed at a site. The process is capable of extracting xenon from process effluent streams. An enriched mixture of recovered xenon (typically in the percent levels) is compressed and stored. Full vessels are then transported offsite for distillation.


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Cheap-as-chips all-in-one printers are not a new concept. Nor is the task of paying more for ink than the printer is worth. It’s how the manufacturers make their money on these products. But what is new with HP’s DeskJet 3630 all-in-one printer is th...
Printers & Imaging
HP has introduced a new breed of LaserJet printers that are smaller in footprint and more efficient when it comes to toner usage and energy consumption. The cornerstone technology of these laser printers is HP’s JetIntelligence cartridges, and it’s a...
Epson Australia has announced what it is calling The Future of Business Printing - WorkForce Pro RIPS, which stands for Replaceable Ink Pack System, a new way for SMBs to cut costs and improve efficiencies when it comes to office colour printing.
XYZprinting has launched what it claims is the world’s first all-in-one 3D printer for consumers, and it will soon be available to buy in Australia. The da Vinci 1.0 AiO is capable of not only printing 3D objects, but also scanning them, and will be ...
3D printing has lost its novelty value a bit, but new printing materials that MakerBot plans to release will soon make it a lot more interesting again.
Canberra 3D printing start-up, Hardcotton, has developed what it claims is the world’s first pressure-controlled 3D printer, a device which requires minimal human interaction.
A total of 26,800 3D printers were shipped globally in the first quarter of calendar 2014, and while enterprises still represent the majority of customers, the consumer sector is gaining traction, according to Canalys.
Epson has launched its PrecisionCore inkjet technology in Australia and claims the technology poses a major threat to the laser printing industry.
Online retailer, Kogan, has announced that it will be selling XYZ’s da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer at a price of $699, significantly cheaper than the $1499 price tag of the only notable 3D printer available in general retail, Officeworks’ Cube 3D Printer.
In one of the more entertaining printer surveys we’ve seen recently, HP polled 1051 office workers in 2013 to find out ‘how Australians use their printers’. The research, conducted online by Lonergan Research, came out with all sorts of interesting n...
Inkjet technology isn’t often the go-to choice for big businesses looking to get things done quickly and efficiently, but HP wants to change that with its new Officejet Enterprise Colour MFP X585. It’s said to be able to print twice as fast as a comp...
Samsung proudly showcased its next generation of products in Bali at the Samsung Forum 2014. On display was a curved television that had UHD resolution, a new mirrorless camera, the line up of powerful Pro tablets and much, much more.
For $US59, the new Shapify.me service will turn a Kinect-based body scan into a three-dimensional figurine – all within the confines of the consumer’s home.
Today’s the day that Apple’s iPad Air went on sale in Australia, but it’s also the day that Google’s Nexus 5 stock allocation in Australia partially sold out. It didn’t take long at all, but at least no one had to line up for it.
Toshiba has released a new type of printer that can be used to re-print on paper that has already been printed on. The E-Studio306LP is claimed to be the world’s first multifunction printer to use an erasable toner, which allows printed sheets to be ...
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Prime Harvest, a legal cannabis company focused on tech and parent company to Jaxx Cannabis, has been granted expansion rights of adult-use edibles sales through Jaxx. According to the announcement, Jaxx is Prime Harvest’s flagship retail brand and is driving strong growth for the company, reporting $4 million in sales last year alone. Through Jaxx, which only offers products that are licensed and regulated by California and San Diego County, consumers can order online 24/7 or purchase in a brick-and-mortar retail store and be assured that they are receiving the highest-quality products available. Jaxx offers a diverse array of products selected to create an experience focused and centered on consumers. The company everything from flower, pre-rolls, edibles and topicals to a complete line of accessories, including everything from bowls and spoons to entire starter kits and more. Prime Harvest is working to expand its footprint by investing in the growth and scale of licensed assets combined with fully utilizing the power of data-driven technology. Prime Harvest is focused on ensuring that the communities it serves see their fair share of the benefits of the industry’s growth, including employment opportunities, environmental enrichment and impactful innovation through R&D and education. “We are excited to expand and participate in the adult-use market, and even more than excited to expand our menu to include cannabis infused edibles for both our current medical patients as well as the recreational consumer,” said Prime Harvest founder and CEO Duane Alexander in the press release. “With the systems in place to drive our retail expansion, we are well on our way to execute on our strategically-designed plan for sustainable growth.”
To view the full press release, visit https://cnw.fm/8umfi
About Prime Harvest Inc.
Prime Harvest is a technology-focused, full-service cannabis corporation. The company is horizontally diversified across various segments of the cannabis value chain, including licensing acquisition and compliance management, and statewide direct-to-consumer operations. Based in the innovation hot spot of San Diego, California, Prime Harvest is expanding its footprint throughout the Golden State by executing a long-term strategy of investing in the growth and scale of licensed assets anchored by the power of data-driven technology. Prime Harvest’s flagship retail brand, Jaxx Cannabis, upholds exceptional standards of quality and services and provides a rewarding experience for customers in San Diego and the surrounding Southern California communities. Trust and credibility are at the heart of everything that the team at Prime Harvest stands for. The Prime Harvest team is composed of true experts in their respective fields, carefully assembled with the aim of building a world-class organization that can drive the cannabis industry and movement forward. For more information about the company, visit www.PrimeHarvestInc.com.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Prime are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/PRIME
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Online retail reaches inflection point, says new Catch boss
Online retail in Australia is five years behind that in the US but reached an inflection point during the coronavirus crisis and is likely to double over the next few years, says the new managing director of Catch Group.
Peter Sauerborn, a former Amazon executive who was lured to Australia last month by Wesfarmers, said the shift to online retailing accelerated during the pandemic but Australia still had a long way to go to match penetration rates overseas.
"I'm new here to Australia but I've been in the online marketplace business for 10 years," said Mr Sauerborn, who was a vice-president of selling partner recruitment and development for Amazon in Seattle before joining Catch.
"As I work through with the team I'm seeing an inflection point in the momentum," he told The Australian Financial Review ahead of the publicaton's special virtual retail summit on Thursday."
Shoppers had become more confident shopping online and major global brands were becoming more comfortable selling on marketplaces as well as their own online boutiques.
"The tailwind that the e-commerce space saw we have seen here at Catch," said Mr Sauerborn, who will participate in an e-commerce online panel at the summit alongside WooliesX managing director Amanda Bardwell and e-commerce pioneer and DealsDirect co-founder Paul Greenberg.
"Brands like Dyson and Apple and Kitchenaid are much more interested and excited moving online, and also pleased with the results they're seeing on the Catch marketplace and the Catch retail business.
"They're all looking at where does it make sense to develop their own website for their brand versus partnering with a marketplace or a broader online retailer."
Online retailing has grown 80 per cent during the pandemic, according to Australia Post data, and online sales have grown two- to three-fold at some retailers.
In April alone, more than 200,000 consumers started shopping online for the first time and one million more people are shopping online each week compared with the average in 2019.
Mr Sauerborn believes e-commerce is likely to account for about 20 per cent of total retail sales in three to five years (up from 10 per cent now and about 6 per cent a year ago), but only if Australian e-tailers lift their game.
"I believe that customers haven’t yet seen what really great looks like in e-commerce and as they see that they'll have a greater level of trust and begin to move some of their purchases online," he said.
"It's about trust ... trust when you order something the order won't be cancelled or delayed, returns are really easy and things are really convenient, like having your package left on your doorstep and not returned to the post office - those details are very important.
"If customers start to see the convenience, the speed of delivery and the convenience of having it left where it needs to be left, then it starts to accelerate.
"But if an e-commerce company is a bit loose and sometimes they have to cancel an order or they're out of stock or they take their time in shipping it or for some reason they don’t leave it on the doorstep .... those things make people question why am I bothering online.
"The industry as a whole - Catch and others - need to provide a great service customers love and trust."
Mr Sauerborn plans to expand and deepen Catch's range in categories including homewares, kitchenware, beauty, groceries and sport and fitness, and recruit new brands for its retail in-stock business and its marketplace offer.
He also plans to leverage Catch's relationship with bricks and mortar stablemates Kmart and Target and other parts of the Wesfarmers group.
Wesfarmers bought Catch from founders Gabby and Hezi Leibovich last June for $230 million to build Kmart and Target's online sales and tap Catch's expertise in e-commerce, online fulfilment and digital marketing.
"I'm very excited about the opportunities of being part of Wesfarmers and the Kmart Group in particular," Mr Sauerborn said.
"I do think there are many different areas of synergy that create a unique and really valuable experience for Australian customers," he added, citing the ability for customers to try before they buy, return orders instore and pick up online Catch orders instore, which is being tested at several Target stores.
"We're early days but we have some ideas for things we'll do to create more value by working together."
Catch's founders were hoping to grow sales to $1 billion by 2020.
Mr Sauerborn declined to comment on current trading or sales targets.
Catch's gross transaction values rose 68.7 per cent in the five months to May 31, after growing 21.4 per cent in the December-half.
"Our aspirations are to build a very big business here, we aspire to be one of the leading marketplaces in Australia," Mr Sauerborn said.
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The companies believe more people will spend more in virtual department stores and amusement parks as they spend more time online.
The key selling point of this system is the ability to remotely manipulate digital avatars from a computer, camera, and microphone at home
Apple is expected to introduce bigger changes to the iPhone line in 2023, including the launch of ‘iPhone 15 Ultra’
It's unclear how possible alliances for other NFT categories, like video and fantasy sports, are doing.
Pixel Watch leak says it could feature sensors similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Watch; Bluetooth certification hints at three models
As the Google I/O conference draws near, where the Pixel Watch is speculated to be announced, more details are being leaked about the anticipated wearable device. A new report claims that Google and Samsung partnership will also extend for the upcoming smartwatch, while a recently spotted Bluetooth certification hints at three models in the pipeline.
Well-known leaker Yogesh Brar reported on Wednesday that the Pixel Watch would sport similar sensors that are available on the Galaxy Watch, including support for ECG readings. Samsung’s wearable devices also feature a sensor that allows it to monitor heart rate, which could be present in Google’s upcoming product.
Got some info on Pixel Watch from a relatively new source— Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh) April 27, 2022
1) Google Samsung partnership here as well.
2) Same sensors as Galaxy Watch (ECG & more)
3) new WearOS 3.1 build
4) 2 sizes, atleast 4 color watch bands.
5) Limited release, priced between $300-400
It is still unknown what chipset Google will use for the Pixel Watch, but it could be another aspect where its partnership with Samsung is utilized. 9To5Google analyzed a Google app update last December, which seemingly included references to an Exynos chip being used in the upcoming smartwatch.
The Pixel Watch is expected to launch with the new Wear OS 3.1 build, and it could come in two different sizes, a variation that is common in other existing premium smartwatches. The leak also mentions that Google could sell at least four color options for the watch’s bands and that it could be priced between $300 and $400.
Brar, however, noted that the Pixel Watch could have a limited release. This could mean that the wearable device may launch in a few countries only, or it could be available in limited quantities at launch. While Brar is one of the oft-accurate leakers on Twitter, he noted that his source for the Pixel Watch information is “relatively new.”
In recent days, there have been mentions of a “Pixel Watch Fit” in the rumor mill. But Brar told a Twitter user that he has not seen any Google smartwatch in the pipeline that matches that description.
While Google has yet to confirm the existence of the Pixel Watch, pieces of evidence from a trademark application and a new Bluetooth certification all suggest the device is in the works. More recently, a Google product described as “BT Wearable Design-Controller Subsystem” seemed to have gained clearance from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (via Android Police). The document does not say much about the device, but it listed three different model numbers — GWT9R, GBZ4S, and GQF4C.
What is a semiconductor? An electrical engineer explains how these critical electronic components work and how they are made


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Companies that want to exploit the emerging Web 2.0 phenomenon could be held back by a lack of developer resources says a survey sponsored by search software developer Fast. Despite a high level of commitment from IT managers, 26 per cent of those surveyed saw a lack of Web 2.0 experience as the weakest link in the development …
Tip of the ICeBerg........ the Mountain View?
"The same thing is going to happen with Web 2.0 although at the moment there is an element of individuals just going ahead and using it.”
And would those just doing ITand using IT, be Creating ITs Controls? ....... with that itself being yet A.N.Other InterNetworking Web albeit IT being a Virtual Semantic One?
That would surely be a Global Mutual Intelligence @ ur Service, would it not?
Is that what Google are about?
Is that what Google want to be about?
web 2.0 resource
It pays to go through some web 2 resources like
- YARR! Pirates walk the plank: DMCA magnets sink in Google results
- Pics Whisper tracks its users. So we tracked down its LA office. This is what happened next
- Review Xperia Z3: Crikey, Sony – ANOTHER flagship phondleslab?
- OnePlus One cut-price Android phone on sale to all... for 1 HOUR
- UNIX greybeards threaten Debian fork over systemd plan


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Building a supercomputer is always challenging, but creating the industry’s first exascale-class system is an encounter with something wholly unexpected and requires a lot of work with hardware and software. Unfortunately, this might be happening with Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Frontier supercomputer, which can barely last a day without numerous hardware failures.
ORNL’s Frontier is the industry’s first system designed to deliver up to 1.685 FP64 ExaFLOPS peak performance using AMD’s 64-core EPYC Trento processors, Instinct MI250X compute GPUs, and HPE’s Slingshot interconnections at 21 MW of power. HPE built the system and used the Cray EX (opens in new tab) architecture designed for scale-out applications, primarily for ultra-fast supercomputers.
While on paper, the Frontier supercomputer looks exceptionally good, and hardware parts of the machine system have been delivered, it seems like problems with hardware keep chasing the machine from coming online and being available to researchers requiring performance of around 1 FP64 ExaFLOPS.
“We are working through issues in hardware and making sure that we understand (what they are),” said Justin Whitt, program director for the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF), in an interview with InsideHPC (opens in new tab). “You are going to have failures at this scale. Mean time between failure on a system this size is hours, it’s not days.”
Rumors about potential hardware failures of Frontier have been floating around for quite a while now. Some said that the system experienced problems with the Slingshot interconnect, according to another InsideHPC (opens in new tab) story. In addition, others indicated that AMD’s Instinct MI250X compute GPUs were not as reliable as expected this year. Remember that the X version, with a higher number of stream processors and high clocks, is only available to select customers.
Mr. Whitt did not confirm that the system experiences any particular issues with Instinct or Slingshot, but he pressed that the machine suffers from numerous hardware issues.
“A lot of challenges are focused around those [GPUs], but that’s not the majority of the challenges that we are seeing,” the head of OLCF said. “It is a pretty good spread among common culprits of parts failures that have been a big part of it. I don’t think that at this point that we have a lot of concern over the AMD products.”
Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Frontier supercomputer is by far not the only system around to use HPE’s Cray EX architecture with Slingshot interconnects, AMD’s EPYC CPUs and AMD’s Instinct compute GPUs. For example, Finland’s Lumi supercomputer (Cray EX, EPYC Milan, Instinct MI250X compute GPUs) delivers 550 PetaFLOPS peak performance and is officially ranked as the world’s third most powerful supercomputer. Perhaps, the problem is valid with the scale of the machine that uses 60 million parts in total.
Only time will tell whether the Frontier supercomputer that was initially promised to come online in 2022 will be available to researchers starting in 2023, given that it is still not officially deployed.


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Geraldine Ree Sales breaks down Sales into three key phases and provides tips and steps to achieve Phase 1: Customer Attraction, in this edition of Open Jaw U.
CBSA says the first week after the reopening of Canada’s borders to fully-vaccinated international travellers on 07SEP saw only about 18% more air arrivals than before restrictions lifted.
This year’s theme is “Tourism for Inclusive Growth;” and comes as destinations, travel companies, and travellers increasingly focus on a responsible – not just profitable – return to travel.
On World Tourism Day, the conversation around the industry’s recovery revolves around sustainability. To protect residents and the local…
The vacation rental platform’s analysis of its successes and new strategy leaves room for ambitious travel advisors to carve out their own profitable piece of business.
Canadians are increasingly looking to fall as a getaway season. With the stay-at-home lockdowns persisting for many Canadians in the…
Open Jaw looks at some island remote work/ live programs that may outlive the pandemic and solidify a new nomadic work/travel lifestyle post-pandemic.
It turns out that direct flights have departed India for Canada, but Transport Canada says they are to test new, special measures that take effect as the ban is fully lifted in just 5 days.
Despite an elated response to word the US would reopen its borders to fully vaccinated arrivals in NOV, Open Jaw clarifies two hurdles for Canadian travellers.
Prior to 21SEP, Ottawa did not provide an update about the ban. However, a social media exchange indicates that direct flights have resumed.


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Hundreds of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens will be available for adoption at the 18th Annual Bow-Wows & Meows Pet Fair to be held at Newhall’s William S. Hart Park on Sunday, October 14, thanks to the partnership of L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation and L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control. The 2018 fair, sponsored by Pets Global, Inc. (Zignature Dog Food & Fussie Cat), Valencia Veterinary Center, Ingolstadt West German Auto Specialists and Happy Pets Veterinary Center, kicks off at 11 a.m. Since it began in 2001, the Valencia-based Bow-Wows & Meows, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has adopted out close to 2,500 pets at its annual fairs, which see attendance in excess of 10,000 people each year. Dogs of ALL breeds are welcome to attend the pet fair, provided they are leashed (non-retractable) and well-behaved. All dogs must be 18 weeks or older and fully vaccinated to attend.
There is no breed discrimination at the Bow-Wows & Meows Pet Fair. All seven Los Angeles County Animal Shelters will be offering discounted adoption fees of just $30 and their veterinary team will be on hand to answer questions from new L.A. County adopters. Dedicated county shelter volunteers, who will also be available to the public, will share their knowledge about the animals.
Every county shelter pet is spayed or neutered, immunized, micro-chipped, and ready to go home immediately. Adopters receive a special, complimentary “I’ve Just Been Adopted” bag for their new family member, compliments of Bow-Wows & Meows sponsors and vendors.
“Adoption is the most humane way to bring home a new pet and it is the most cost-effective, too,” said Yvonne (Allbee) Hanson, founder of Bow-Wows & Meows, Inc. “Most of the dogs and cats at the fair were once part of a family, so they acclimate really well to being in a home again. Families often speak of a very special bond that develops with their adopted pet and many claim it to be one of the greatest things they have done.”
Hanson speaks from experience, having adopted shelter dogs and cats herself.
In 2017, Bow-Wows & Meows adopted out 179 shelter and rescue animals. Fair organizers are looking to break their 2015 record of 200 adoptions this year on October 14. “Our goal is to send all the shelter trucks back empty at the end of the day and with the community’s help, we can make that happen,” Hanson said.
Entrance to the family-friendly fair is free, and activities include:
Amazing entertainment by The Sundance Dog Team, World-Acclaimed Dog Acrobatic Show at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
The famous Fun Dog Show, with categories ranging from best vocalist to mystery mutt and pet-owner look-alike at 1:30 p.m.
Huge “Super Raffle” with fantastic prizes ranging in value from $50 up to $4,000 – at just $1 per ticket
County pet license renewals
Food Truck Court with delicious dining options (including vegan and vegetarian)
Shopping opportunities ranging from premium pet food to fantastic pet accessories
Talk with service vendors such as veterinarians, pet sitters, groomers etc…
Low-cost vaccines from TAGS (free rabies shots)
Pet photographer, caricature artists, photo booths and more
Free community street parking will be available in the surrounding neighborhood areas including the Metrolink parking lots.
Local pet lovers can help the fair succeed by spreading the word about Bow-Wows & Meows via
“Social media makes a big impact by bringing more adopters to the fair, helping us save as many lives as possible,” Hanson said.
For more information, visit
www.BowWowsAndMeows.org or email


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Who doesn't enjoy a good roll of toilet paper? Kimberly-Clark's Scott Naturals hopes you will enjoy their new tubeless rolls. In what some are calling a much-delayed foray into the eco-friendly market, the company is launching this as a means to reduce waste. They will be testing the tubeless rolls here in the Northeast in chain stores like WalMart. See the excerpt below.
Roll with it: Scott's tube-free toilet paper
by Matt Hickman
Thu, Oct 28 2010 at 9:46 AM EST
"USA Today is reporting that on Monday at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores across the Northeast, Kimberly-Clark will introduce tube-free loo rolls through the Scott Naturals brand.
The "tube-less technology” behind the toilet paper is, not surprisingly, hush-hush. While the holes in the rolls may not be as round as we're accustomed to, they will fit over standard spindles and every last square of toilet paper will be useable. And to be clear, the toilet paper will not boast recycled content. But hey, it’s a start.
If the product performs well during the test run at Walmart and Sam’s Club, Kimberly-Clark may unleash tube-less toilet paper on a national — or even global scale — and extend the technology to paper towels."
To read more, click here.
Image courtesy of Kimberly-Clark.


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Organic food in plant-based diet benefits our environment
A plant-based diet is better for our health than an animal-based diet. In fact, studies have shown us that more consumption of fruits and vegetables is better for our heart health, gut health, the ageing brain and it also reduces the risk of all-cause mortality amongst other benefits.
Eating more fruits and vegetables is not only beneficial for us on an individual basis but it is also beneficial for our planet.
A major new study confirms that consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables is better for our planet that a diet high in animal products.
This is the first study which investigates the environmental impacts of our diets and farm production methods used for the food we consume.
There were even more environmental benefits for organic food consumption in a plant-based diet. However, the consumption of organic food in a predominant animal-diet did not add any significant environmental benefits.
The researchers obtained information on food consumption and food intake ratios from 34,442 French adults with the help of a food frequency questionnaire, which included information on organic food consumption for each group.
They used a provegetarian score to determine preference for plant-based or animal-based products.
The researchers also conducted a production lifecycle environment impact assessment at farm level against three environmental indicators: gas emissions, cumulative energy demand and land occupation.
They analysed associations between provegetarian scores, the level of organic food intake and environmental indicators.
The researchers found that people with diets rich in plant-based foods were more likely to be older urban dwellers, to hold a higher degree in education, and to be characterized by an overall healthier lifestyle and diet.
They also found that diet-related environmental impacts were reduced with a plant-based diet particularly greenhouse gas emissions. There were even more environmental benefits for organic food consumption in a plant-based diet. However, the consumption of organic food in a predominant animal-diet did not add any significant environmental benefits.
Organisations like the U.N. advocate the consumption of plant-based diets and to reduce the consumption of animal-based diet for the sustainability of this planet. This is due to the high energy consumption in livestock farming and also because of the significant contribution to greenhouse gases from livestock. Intensive livestock farming is also harmful to biodiversity due to the increasing need to convert natural habitats into farming land for grass and feed crops.
Taking a step back to assess your diet and adopting a more plant-based diet especially orh=ganic plant-based will pave the way for a healthy body and a healthy planet.
Source: Frontiers in Nutrition
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The Butter Chicken in questionTrader Joe's announced yet another recall last week, at least the sixth this year, affecting dozens of stores. This time it's a frozen Trader Joe's brand Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice entree, 4,865 pounds of which are being recalled because they may be contaminated with Listeria, a bacteria food safety experts describe as "scary."
More on Shine: Talking to your kids about food: the politics of our diets
The meals had already been distributed to Trader Joe's stores on the East Coast. Earlier recalls in 2012 were of Sunland peanut butter products stocked at Trader Joe's, Trader Joe's BBQ Chicken Salad, Trader Joe's Mild Salsa and Balela, the brand's deli and prepared foods involving onions, and Trader Joe's Butternut Squash, Red Quinoa and Wheatberry salad, according to the website US Food Safety, whose owner Susan Reef spoke with Yahoo! Shine.
More on Yahoo!: Listeria, the rare but deadly killer in your kitchen
Shoppers, understandably, are paranoid that there's something wrong either at Trader Joe's or with our food supply in general.
And it turns out that they may be right to be concerned. Trader Joe's is on par with other large retailers like Wegmans and Whole Foods when it comes to number of recalls, food safety experts Yahoo! Shine spoke with agreed. Anyone selling lots of packaged food is at risk, Reef said, because "the more human hands that are on a food and the more machinery that have come in contact with a food, the more likely it is to be recalled. We see more manufactured product recalls than we do in the fruit and vegetable arena." Still, she pointed out that 18 people died from eating cantaloupe in 2011.
Overall recall numbers are hard to obtain, because food regulation in the U.S. involves two non-collaborating government agencies and a supply of imported food, but it's clear that there are many recalls a week, with a total of 3,640 recall events in 2011 and 2,781 in 2009, according to statistics provided by the FDA to Yahoo! Shine. Mike Rozembajgier, president of Stericycle Expert RECALL, a company that handles recalls for large corporations, told The MetroWest Daily News that the number has been higher than usual in 2012.
"It's hard to know if there are actually more recalls or if there's just a perception that there are more," said Sarah Klein, a senior staff attorney for the Food Safety Program at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "What we do know is that there are more recalls than we'd like to see, and there are some unusual pathogen/food combinations, and there are some recalls that are more troubling than others because of the nature of the food/pathogen pair."
The most recent Trader Joe's recall involves just such a pair, Klein explains. Listeria is the classic "deli-counter bacteria" which can cause mild flu-like symptom for the mother, but be deadly for the unborn child. When it's found in a frozen food, it means the longevity of the threat is indefinite, and that the product might long outlast the public awareness of the recall.
Trader Joe's representatives did not return calls for comment. A manager reached at a New York City store claimed that the brand is "really good about it" when recalls happen. "We posted notices around the store, at all the registers and in the frozen food aisle, and destroyed everything we have in stock," the manager, who asked not to be named, said. "We throw it in the trash, just to make sure it isn't donated. If you've bought any, you can bring it back and get a refund. We have a 100 percent returns policy anyway, if you buy something and aren't satisfied."
Unfortunately, one of the problems with Listeria, Klein says, is that it can survive indefinitely on metal and plastic surfaces. If the bacteria is on the outside of a package of contaminated food, and you had that food in your freezer, throwing it away or returning it won't help.
What can consumers do when any product, fresh or frozen, might be contaminated? One answer is demand more regulation. In fact, two years ago congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which would increase scrutiny on food suppliers regulated by the FDA. Advocates complain that the law has been held up ever since in the federal Office of Management and Budget, and that it will be much longer until consumers see the increased protections. But increased regulation wouldn't have made a difference in the case of the Butter Chicken. Meat and poultry is overseen by a different organization, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, which already has more stringent regulations in place. And moreover, the Trader Joe's meal was made in Canada, which has its own set of rules.
In the end, Klein says, the problem is up to the retailers to solve. "They have the market power to say, 'If you want to sell to us, there are things you have to do to show us that food safety is top priority'," she says. She adds that there are some chains, like Costco, that have made food safety "a real and public priority," and we can all hope that more follow suit.
More on Shine:
The top food recalls of 2011
Peanut recalls: What you need to know
4 steps to lower your risk of getting sick from food


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Seagate Technology has opened a new S$100 million (US$74.9 million) research and development (R&D) site in Singapore focused on 2.5-inch small form-factor storage components.
Spanning 40,000 square meters, the facility supports the local mobile storage research team and will develop hard drives, hybrid drives, firmware, software, and other related technologies for various devices. These include mobile computers, local backup storage devices, digital video recorders, and network attached storage systems.
The nine-storey center, which was first announced in July 2013, features eco-friendly designs such as large-scale solar panels, energy-efficient lighting, and rainwater harvesting systems. Named The Shugart, after Seagate's founder Al Shugart, the new facility has the capacity to house 900 employees and is one of four design centers globally in addition to others in South Korea, Shakopee and two in the United States.
The storage vendor also has two other facilities in Singapore, where it first began operations with sub-assembly plant for disk drive components in 1982. Apart from its international headquarters located in central Singapore, the storage vendor also has runs its Woodlands Recording Media Operations, which underwent a S$1.3 billion (US$973.76 million) expansion in 2006. The company has some 7,000 employees in the country.
More than over 500 research scientists and engineers currently are employed in the new R&D facility and involved in product development as well as customer and supplier qualification, among others.
Speaking at the opening Friday, Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang said the country accounted for close to half of the world's manufacturing capacity for hard disk media. "In the 1980s, Singapore grew into a global hub for HDDs and remained a strong leader in this field even after the 1990s shift from assembling consumer drives to higher value enterprise drives. At its peak, over half of the world's hard disk drive units were made in Singapore," Lim said.
He noted that Seagate was the first investor to establish a disk drive component sub-assembly plant in the country in 1982, with Singapore the vendor's only media manufacturing location outside of the United States.


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Streaming may lead to an expansion of gaming into new markets, but will not replace traditional gaming, according to Marc-André Jutras.
Industry analyst Michael Pachter believes Microsoft will make two variants for the next Xbox- a streaming device, and another, more traditional console.
It sounds like there will be a lot more Xbox consoles coming our way.
Project xCloud is "unlocking new business opportunities" for third party publishers, says Spencer.
To be fair, given the current state of internet services in the United States, I can’t even say he is wrong.
Spencer believes that streaming is more of an alternative, and will never fully replace traditional consoles.
"The success of the Switch is testament to the value of mobile gaming with physical controls."
To be fair, where is the lie in what he said?
If streaming is the future of gaming, then PS Now is here, now.
But, Microsoft says, it won’t replace Xbox itself.
"I don't just want to able to play against people on other platforms. I also want to be able to take my progress with me from device to device."


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After a year of planning for overseas expansion, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has now launched a new entity NPCI International Limited (NIPL) intending to expand its highly successful Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in the global market!
Read on to find out more about NIPL…
NPCI has Poured In Rs 50 Crore For NIPL!
NPCI with its UPI payment system has disrupted the digital payments landscape in India since its launch in 2016. UPI recorded 5.39 billion transactions amounting to Rs 8,76,970.72 crore in FY20.
The growth of UPI in the current fiscal can be cited to three main Payment Service Providers (PSPs) in the country – Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm.
According to incorporation documents, NPCI’s latest development is a part of the company’s efforts to promote the growth of its business and expansion of payments and settlement services in national and international landscapes through electronic and paper-based clearing systems.
This move also comes at a time when UPI, in July this year witnessed 1.49 billion transactions worth Rs 2,90,537 crore. As each month goes by, UPI can be seen breaking all its previous records with respect to processing transactions in terms of both volume and value.
A separate regulatory filing indicates that NPCI has invested an authorized capital of Rs 50 crore in NIPL in May.
Who Is Involved In NPCI’s latest venture?
Ritesh Shukla, previously a part of Paytm’s rival, Mastercard business in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for NIPL.
Also, Anubhav Sharma who briefly left NPCI to work for Paytm has made a comeback to look after business development, partnership, and marketing segments of NPCI’s international subsidiary.
Apart from the above mentioned, the initial subscribers include Praveena Rai, Rajendra Narayanan, Ashish Pai, Priyanka Agrawal. Currently, NIPL comprises of 6 directors who all are senior executives at NPCI.
What Are NPCI’s Future Expansion Plans?
According to Entrackr, the NPCI has been in advanced talks with a few banks and financial entities to test a UPI-like infrastructure in UAE and Southeast Asian countries.
NPCI is also gearing up to enable Near Field Communication-based (NFC) payment facility by partnering with banks and Point of Sale (PoS) device manufacturers in India.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, more people are shifting to digital payments.
It will be interesting to see an Indian organization’s foray into the overseas digital transaction landscape!


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New Zealand Vacuum Cleaner Co, which runs the Godfreys vacuum cleaner retail chain, has been fined $48,000 over its failure to disclose customer rights in extended warranty agreements.
The company pleaded guilty to 10 charges under the Fair Trading Act in Manukau District Court.
Between June 2014 and September 2015, Godfreys sold more than 3,000 extended warranty agreements which didn't include information it has to disclose to customers, the Commerce Commission said in a statement.
Godfreys New Zealand general manager Chris Mason said his team had apologised to affected customers and also fully co-operated with the commission's enquiries.
Five of the charges against the retailer related to its failure to provide written advice to customers of their rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act and the right of customers to cancel extended warranties within five days, the commission said.
The other five charges related to Godfreys' failure to verbally advise consumers about their cancellation rights before they entered into the extended warranty agreement.
"The law aims to give consumers the information that they need to help decide if the additional protection offered by the extended warranty represents value for money when compared with rights that they already have under the Consumer Guarantees Act," commissioner Anna Rawlings said.
"It is essential that businesses selling extended warranties comply with these requirements and consumers remember that the Consumer Guarantees Act offers some protection whether or not they choose to purchase an extended warranty as well."
The case was the first prosecution under FTA provisions which impose specific obligations on companies selling extended warranty agreements, which came into force in 2014, the regulator has previously said.
Under the provisions, the warrantor must explain some guarantees are already provided to consumers under the CGA, and provide comparative information on CGA guarantees and the protections being sold under the warranty.
"As soon as Godfreys became aware that its warranty agreements did not reflect recent changes to consumer law, we contacted customers who may have been affected, offering a full refund on their warranty cost," Mr Mason said.
"In addition we have ceased selling extended warranty agreements."
"The New Zealand Commerce Commission has acknowledged that Godfreys has fully co-operated with in its enquiries."
NZ Vacuum Cleaner Co is owned by Australian Vacuum Cleaner Co, which also operates the Godfreys chain in Australia. It has 31 stores in New Zealand, where it has operated for about 15 years.


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According to the CEO of the company, the catalog of its service will be renewed periodically with new experiences.
It’s only been a few hours since PlayStation officially confirmed its new ps pluswhich through subscription models Essential, Extra y Premium It will allow us to access a large number of current and classic experiences. We still feel the aftershocks of this information earthquake, but the CEO of PlayStation, Jim Ryanhas already come out to explain why his service will not have exclusive launch games.
The new PS Plus will not include exclusive launch gamesBut there are more doubts surrounding this novelty, and most of them lie in the titles that yes they will be integrated into the platform. In this sense, PlayStation has not wanted to go into details, but in its statement it has highlighted the inclusion of games such as Death Stranding, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Mortal Kombat 11 and Returnal.
Obviously, the renewed PS Plus will have many more games in its catalogue, but we will have to wait until the month of June to check all the experiences added in their subscription models. In addition, it should be remembered that the PlayStation list is not final and, according to its message, it will go updating periodically with new options for players.
We still have a few months to enjoy the PS Plus as we know it, so you can already find out what its April free games are for service members, something we have learned through a leaked list. And it is that, although our sights are set on the next month of June, this does not mean that we can continue enjoying what we have now.


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The Winchesters has been canceled after one season, but the fight for it just begins. Could Amazon step in to save the show?
It was bad news for Supernatural fans. The prequel series has not been renewed by The CW. Now the fight is on to save it, and we’re looking at Amazon to do that. It wouldn’t be the first time the streamer saved a high-budget show that was struggling in the ratings a little due to the network it was on. Just look at The Expanse!
So, is there a chance that Amazon will step in to save the day? This series doesn’t initially seem to fit the Amazon streamer, but there are some reasons for it to head to Prime Video.
Could The Winchesters end up on Amazon?
Let’s just start with the fact that Jensen Ackles has an overall deal with Amazon right now. He exited his overall deal with WBTV in favor of Amazon, which isn’t just a production deal but an acting one too. This is a first-look deal, too, which means any project Jensen has in mind would need to be shopped to Amazon first. If Amazon turns it down, he can then shop it elsewhere.
So, it would be a good idea to shop the show to Amazon. He may even need to look there first depending on the exact wording of his deal.
While the show doesn’t initially seem to fit, Amazon has been trying to get into the YA genre. Wouldn’t the Supernatural prequel be the way into it? There are fantasy shows on the streamer including Carnival Row and Good Omens so it wouldn’t be completely out of place. However, it would need a bigger budget and some revamping to work for Prime Video.
Another reason to go there is that Eric Kripke has The Boys and its franchise. Kripke is the reason Supernatural started so many years ago. Why not put the spin-off that was based on one of his shows on Prime Video along with The Boys?
The Winchesters is currently available to stream on HBO Max, which is available via Amazon Channels.